4. Peppermint Oil
Peppermint is one of the most intense smells in nature, and snakes want no part of it. Peppermint and other plants in the mint family are considered a safe and effective snake deterrent. Because mint is such a strong smell, snakes hate it and will usually stay away. Peppermint oil, and minty fragrances in general, are widely regarded as snake repellents. Peppermint is also considered a mice repellent, which makes food sources scarcer for snakes around your home.
Snakes don’t show up to a yard randomly. They come because there’s food there, usually mice, rats, or other small rodents. Deterring the food source removes a key reason for a snake to be there in the first place. You can apply peppermint oil similarly to cinnamon and clove – diluted in water as a spray, or via soaked cotton balls. You can also plant mint directly in your garden, where it functions as a living, continuously releasing deterrent that refreshes itself with every rainfall. If you’re dealing with other uninvited backyard visitors at the same time, this article on plants that repel pests covers a range of companion planting strategies worth reading alongside this one.